The Beach
by Sara Moon
Summary: A simple trip to the beach...or maybe not so simple?


A/N: This story is all over the place, but I had fun writing it! Sadly, I still do not own these characters.

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"The beach?"

Mai was sure that there were only three possible explanations for the sudden confrontation at her doorway. One; which surely was most probable…she had died over night. Two; less likely but still possible…the figure in the doorway was dead and therefore a ghost and therefore irrational. Three; none of this was happening. Yes, it couldn't be happening at all and she was probably off in la-la dream land still snug in her bed.

"Yes, the beach."

Naru's stern, unforgiving tone dashed any hope that she was still asleep. Mai wanted to pinch herself just to make double sure but couldn't force enough strength into her arm to accomplish the task.

"With you?"

The scowl that met her idiotic question was enough answer and Mai let her head fall to the side as if to question the reality of such an event once again. Why in the world was Naru, alone, at her doorstep at an ungodly time of morning, on a free day, telling her in no less commanding tones that they were going to the beach?

"You have five minutes to get ready and be seated in my car before I haul you out there myself, regardless of swimming gear or no."

Naru smirked as Mai's mind slowly processed what he had said; a blush washed her cheeks and her eyes shot into focus. She took one look at him, as if ascertaining his seriousness, before she launched back into the small apartment with all the grace of a dying bear. Even after she disappeared out of sight, Naru could hear the banging and clattering of her stumbling about…he leaned carelessly against the door jam and let a sincere smile cross his features. She might hate him later, but for now he couldn't imagine anything more amusing.

He had obviously roused her from sleeping in; he had deliberately not called to alert her of his plans for precisely that reason. Her hair was a short jumbled mess about her head and her sleepwear, a fitting pink monstrosity of matching tank top and shorts, was rumpled and askew. Overall, the picture was more than he could have hoped for and was well worth the effort.

It had been just over nine minutes when Naru pushed off the door and sauntered into the small space in search of his prey. The clatter from within had not dimmed so he knew that Mai was most likely as ready as she was going to be without wasting time on useless things. He turned a corner and caught her eye as she was frantically trying to tame her hair into her customary style; it was not cooperating in the least.

He reflected for a moment on how long could it possibly take for a girl to settle her hair into looking so natural and…well…un-styled. But apparently a great deal went into getting a simple look to be simple looking. Naru let his gaze travel to the simple white sun dress that adorned her form, matching white sandals on her feet and couldn't help but wonder what swim suit she had on beneath. Did Mai even own a swim suit? That thought gave him pause for he had not thought about that before his wayward quest this morning. Perhaps she was planning on staying on the beach to merely watch? Whatever the case, he would not be deterred from his purpose suit or no. He silently hoped for a bikini…he was a full blooded male after all…

"Leave it." Naru's voice stilled her hands in mid motion trying to smooth over her bed head. "In the car, now."

Mai didn't even dare utter a peep as she fled the mirror, grabbed her hastily packed bag and followed Naru from her living room. She quickly locked the door behind them and rushed to keep up with Naru as he slid into the driver's seat of an expensive looking car. "I didn't know you could drive," She commented as she pulled on her seat belt and settled into a more comfortable position. Naru said nothing but sent her a very ambiguous look indeed.

He didn't have a license, Mai was sure of it…that look meant _something _and she didn't even want to know the beginning of it. The car, there was no way it could be his…where was Lin anyway? Mai's head was so full of speculation and questions she barely noticed the passage of time and before she knew it they had pulled into a drive and parked near a stone laced path.

"The beach?" Mai questioned as she alighted from the car, looking around her surroundings. She could see a structure in the distance but mostly she just saw grass and trees. Confused, she turned a quizzical glance in Naru's direction.

He was already starting down the gravel path, "This way" he called over his shoulder. In moments, they were standing side by side gazing over the welcoming shimmer of sea and sandy beach. "I am to understand that this constitutes a beach."

Mai would have closed her mouth if her jaw had been able to function properly. How very like Naru to mention something so commonplace and then totally throw her through a loop with his version of it. Sure this was a beach and there was the ocean water beckoning her, but it was about the most beautiful landscape she had ever seen. Upon closer scrutiny, the path they had taken was woven between jutting sloped cliffs and edifice creating a secluded and wholly private beach. Mai was not sure if she should be insanely elated or wary of such a gem of a location.

"Are we here alone? When are the others joining us?" Mai looked about her as she moved closer to the center of the beach cove. She was already fumbling to get her sandals off and her towel positioned in the sand when Naru silently came up behind her to answer.

"It's just us, no one else is coming." Mai whirled around on him so quickly she nearly fell over; his bemused expression grew even more difficult to control as he knew he wanted to chuckle at her shocked and affronted look. "Is that a problem Mai? Is it really so shocking that I would invite you to spend an afternoon together with me at a lovely beach?"

Oh, it was more than just shocking; it was unheard of. Naru didn't _just _do something for no reason; especially not something that had to do with the outdoors and having fun. Mai was starting to think her original assumption was correct; she must be dead…she had to be since this would never happen in reality. Naru was looking at her with such an expectant expression, his eyes alight with amusement. He was wearing his typical black, but once Mai had a chance to examine him closer she noticed that he was not as impeccably dressed as his norm. His shirt was loose and askew, his pants a light cotton material; my god, did he have swim trunks on under there? Mai's mind was rapidly running in that direction. It was hard to believe he even owned such a garment but she supposed it was possible, just like it was possible that the man behind her was some scheming dead ghost out to torture her on her day off with such a ploy. "What do you want!?"

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and she shuffled back a few steps as Naru's face broke a bit more. "Mai, it's just a beach and we are just here to swim and relax."

"Ah!" Mai pointed an accusing finger in his direction. "I knew this couldn't be real! Any second now I will wake up still in my bed and this will have all been a dream because the real Naru would never go out in the sun to just relax! Not to mention that car that I know can't be yours, and that house!"

Naru sighed and regarded Mai with a look he usually reserved for complete idiots but before he could form a biting response to Mai's stupidity she was retreating away from him with such a look in her eyes he had no words.

"N-nevermind!" Mai sputtered out. There was no doubt that the person with her was indeed Naru; that condescending look could never be imitated no matter how realistic a dream. That simply left Mai to wonder again what they were doing there. Was there a case? Something they needed to find? If that was so, why didn't Naru wish for the others to be there? Perhaps he felt there was something only she could do? "I don't think I really want to know why you dragged me here…"

Raising a brow to Mai's muttered words, Naru shrugged. "Why not just enjoy the water for now?"

For a moment, Naru was sure that Mai was going to start up some inane argument but to his surprise, she merely regarded him warily and turned away. In another moment she had her dress over her head and was surveying the water before her clad in some yellow monstrosity of a tank-ini. Were those polka dots? Naru was quickly side tracked by the mystery presented by the illusive pattern on the bathing suit but soon found him self focusing once again on the girl making her way into the water.

Mai stood calf deep in the gentle surf, tossing her feet this way and that testing the water before she ventured slowly out from the beach and into deeper waters. She seemed to be concentrating on the water and her task so intently that Naru was sure she had put it out of her mind why they were even there. Naru knew he probably should have been more honest, but why ruin a perfectly good trip?

It was true that the beach was a private location, included in the estate that Mai undoubtedly saw on their way in and the car was also loaned from that very residence. However, Mai would view this so called "case" in a completely different light than he himself viewed it. There were two things that Naru felt were significant in this instance; one, based on what the staff explained to have seen occurring at the beach…natural phenomenon and nature were clearly at work. Mai didn't need to know that the trip was technically a case; there was a high possibility that nothing was out of the ordinary anyway. Two, _if_ on the slight chance that something paranormal was occurring, Mai would without a doubt lure it out.

Bait.

Everything boiled down to that simple fact. Naru had brought Mai to the beach as bait to see if anything was indeed occurring at the cove. Mai seemed to have that uncanny ability to attract harm like moths were attracted to flame. In his defense, Naru knew that statistics were on his side and the chances were so slim that there was a problem, it was insubstantial and not worth his consideration.

It was the perfect excuse to go to the beach. Yes, Naru had actually wanted to spend time with Mai, see her in swim wear, and enjoy his day off without the interference of Lin or any of the pesky team members. Of course he couldn't just ask her to go out with him somewhere in their free time…this was for work and therefore, as his employee, she had every right to be there with him. Naru nodded to himself, his logic was perfect. With a satisfied grin, Naru seated himself on the towel Mai had situated earlier and stretched his legs out before him.

Mai was splashing about with a smile as bright as the sun plastered on her face as she moved from one side of the cove to the other. Naru reclined backwards, his arm shielding his eyes from the sun. He couldn't recall a time he felt so at ease. For once he didn't have to worry about what paperwork needed to be done or what clients needed to be sorted through by priority. It was an odd feeling to be free of worry, at least for the day anyway, and Naru was pretty sure he was enjoying it…as much as he could enjoy anything anyway.

Mai was more than sure that she was enjoying every minute of her impromptu outing. The weather was divine, the water warm and clear, and the scenery absolutely breathtaking. Sure, the morning started out quite awkward…truth be told, it was still awkward, but Mai was much too elated to care. It was not every day that she could have such carefree fun.

Glancing back to the shore, Mai giggled a bit to herself as she dove under a gentle wave and resurfaced a bit further out. Naru looked completely at ease and in all the comfort only a sandy beach could offer. It never occurred to Mai to notice just how far out she had drifted from the shore, and it never occurred to her that there would be anything abnormal with the beach; it was in the middle of the day after all, and a place so beautiful couldn't possibly have anything wrong…

Startling awake, Naru sat bolt upright in a flash. He didn't know what awoke him but the horrible sinking feeling in his gut certainly was not a god sign. His instincts, now fully alert, mirrored the feeling as Naru stood and scanned the area anxiously. The sun was still high, not much time had passed…or had it?

There wasn't supposed to be anything, no case, no ghosts…it was safe, Naru was sure of it. But as the sinking feeling grew, Naru couldn't deny the fact that he didn't know for sure…he didn't know anything for sure save for the fact that Mai was nowhere in sight.

~x~

Mai had been right; it was all just a dream after all, for here she was tucked comfortably into bed, warm and secure. She knew she should stir but found herself surprisingly weary…dancing on that line just between blissful darkness and stunning awareness; she didn't want to wake up and face the day, especially if Naru wasn't there to share it with.

What an odd dream she had been having though. Mai furrowed her brows and pushed her head into the soft pillow more firmly; the beach. It had been so wonderful, so perfect, and yet it had all gone wrong so quickly. Mai felt a shiver run down her spine as she recalled the terrible sinking feeling, the all consuming fear that had overtaken her when she knew she could die. Drowning was a terrifying thing…

It had happened.

A new shudder broke through Mai as the realization, the truth, coursed through her; she had drowned. There was no doubt about it, the ache in her limbs, the weakness, the pain in her lungs, oh yes, something had happened. Her senses heightened and of course Mai now took note of the subtle things that were not as they should be, even if her eyes were still closed; the bed was much too comfortable to be hers, the sheets and pillow smelled of fresh orange blossom, and it was quiet…a sweet comforting silence that she never would have experienced in her small apartment. No, Mai didn't know where she was.

There had been the clear sparkling waters of the cove, the inviting sand bar not all that far from the beach. Naru had looked so relaxed and even looked…happy. Mai recalled with a frown that she had decided to swim for that sand bar and let Naru rest, she would pour water over him, splash him and flee in an attempt to lure him into the game with her, later. There would be time. But what had happened?

The pain.

There had been pain, Mai recalled with a wince. Was it a cramp or a pulled joint? Mai's mind was hazy with the details but she didn't think she had a leg cramp. She remembered taking on water, the pain in her lungs when she could no longer fill them with air, the all consuming need to reach the surface but being unable to do so. What had held her down? Did something pull her under and keep her there? Mai trembled again but her mind worked furiously with recalling everything that had transpired. Had she even survived?

Mai wouldn't be surprised if she was analyzing all of this after she had already expired; somehow it seemed rather fitting. With more effort that she thought possible for such an act, Mai slowly fluttered her eyes open. Her lids were heavy, but she kept her eyes wide bringing Naru's face into focus. He was looking at her with an expression she hadn't seen before, one that she was sure she didn't want to look too deeply into for it was a stunning mixture of relief, concern, anxiety…and guilt. There was no mistaking the flash of emotion that crossed his features in that instance, but what could he possibly be guilty for? Naru had saved her, again, and it was she who should be feeling guilty for ruining the wonderful day he had planned.

Her hand flexed and Mai was stunned to feel her fingers intertwined within Naru's warm grasp; he was holding her hand. Slowly, and with great care, Naru's free hand came up to brush Mai's forehead, his features set in that of worry. "How are you feeling?"

His voice sounded tight, but Mai could detect nothing else that would suggest what thoughts were running through Naru's head. "Okay…" she muttered, not knowing what else to say. From past experience, she already knew Naru could read her like a book; it never mattered what she said for he knew if she was telling the truth or not and always formed his own conclusions regardless. Mai sighed softly at the questionable expression etching his expression; of course he didn't believe her for a moment.

"I'll bring you some water," Naru voiced as he moved away from the bed and slipped quickly from the room. He didn't even know he was holding his breath until he was in the hallway, releasing in a slow swoosh, relief washing over him. He was sure that his heart had literally stopped beating for a few moments when he awoke to the silent waters; Mai nowhere in sight. It had taken every ounce of his control to keep himself from panicking, looking at the situation with a scientific mind and not his spiraling emotions. It was dangerous, emotions were dangerous. Naru knew he couldn't afford to cloud his judgment, but at the time nothing else seemed to matter.

He had lunged for the water like a man deprived of the life giving liquid for a lifetime and quickly scanned the surface for any sign of Mai. The cove was shallow, but deepened a bit some yards out before alighting again to a sand bar. If she was in the water, or even below it, Naru knew he would be able to see her. The color of her swimsuit alone would be a great asset, but nothing had stuck out or caught his attention; Mai was nowhere to be found.

If it wasn't for the glint of brown and yellow in the distance, if it wasn't for that logical part of his mind reminding him of the currents, Naru might not have found her in time. He had pushed forward, swimming as he had never done before, using the suddenly strong rip current to pull him out further toward his goal, before he finally ducked beneath the water and dove down trying to find the body he knew was somewhere near.

It had been a frighteningly hit and miss attempt; the water was deep and Naru had no idea if Mai's body was being pulled further down or if her natural buoyancy was keeping her near the surface. He had guessed down, but as the burning in his lungs grew almost unbearable and still his searching hands had grasped nothing, the fear in his gut grew to a sharp piercing pain. Naru was sure he was going to have to surface and try his search again; wasting all sorts of precious time, but it was during that last kick…the last push before he would resurface, that his leg had brushed against something. Grabbing wildly, his hand had clasped what he was sure to be flesh and he battled his way back to the surface, gasping deeply as soon as he could. Naru recalled the pain in his chest, his lungs aflame and protesting even as he filled them with air again and again, but he soon realized it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart when he pulled Mai's still form to his side and supported her head above the water. His heart had plummeted.

Naru shivered at the recollection.

Making his way slowly back to the room, Naru still couldn't quite believe his fortune that Mai was breathing, alive, and right there before him, warm to the touch. She had been so cold, so limp, when he followed the current and finally pulled himself from the water to a rocky outcrop further down the shoreline. She had been utterly still while he tried to locate a pulse, tried to detect any sign of life. It had taken what seemed like a life time for his brain to process the events that had just transpired. Had there been something supernatural at the beach after all? Something that had pulled her down, attacked her?

No.

No, Naru knew, every sense he possessed was telling him that the water had been pure; nothing out of the ordinary had been at work. The enemy was nature itself and the everyday occurrence of water streams and the natural flow of those streams. He was sure that Mai would collaborate, she probably was more aware of that sort of thing than he was. But the knowledge did nothing to help when Naru was faced with a lifeless body at his feet.

Her lips had been like ice.

Funny how such a seemingly insignificant detail stuck so prominently in Naru's mind. It had been a kiss so utterly devoid of any resemblance of the term, it was utterly wrong to even deem the act as such. Filling her lungs with air over and over again, pushing her heart back into action, even pushing the water swallowed from her gut, didn't illicit even the slightest reaction. With seeping dread, Naru didn't want to think he had been too late. He refused to let Mai die.

It wasn't until a particularly forceful hit to her chest, done in desperate anger, sorrow, and frustration, did Mai begin to stir. It was so slight at first that Naru almost missed it, but he had caught the twitch, seen the way her body convulsed ever so slightly. More air to her lungs and soft coughing escaped her lips in a rush. Naru didn't waste any time in probing her mouth with his fingers, causing Mai to violently reject the contents of her stomach, the sea water pooling at her side. Her coughing became heavy and Naru finally allowed himself to breathe normally again.

He hadn't been too late.

Pushing the thoughts aside, he pressed the half filled glass of water to Mai's lips, Naru watched intently as she sipped before he let her head fall back to the pillow and he returned the glass to the bed stand. He stared a moment longer, watching Mai watch him with an equally penetrating gaze, before he turned his eyes away. "You should rest."

"I didn't feel anything." Mai spoke softly, but her tone was strong. "Nothing at all when I got caught up in that current."

Naru's eyes darted back to meet the girl's, his brows rose ever so slightly. Mai continued on, "it was my fault…I shouldn't have tried to swim so far out…"

"No." Naru's gaze was shifting in that troubling fashion, emotions pooling in a frightening mixture. "I..it…"

Mai shifted, her head tilting to the side, her eyes widening as all the pieces fell into place. "It _was_ a case, but I didn't feel anything there Naru, I swear it. There is no reason to feel…to feel responsible…to feel…guilty."

Guilt.

Naru winced at the word. Searching Mai's gaze revealed what he already knew; she was being completely and utterly earnest. She trusted him completely, blindly, she had no idea.

"You _knew_ there was nothing there…but you came anyway…for me."

Naru closed his eyes. She had no idea what he had been thinking of when he brought her to the beach. He wasn't completely sure of anything, if the reports had a base in the supernatural or not. He had used her as bait.

Sure, that was not the only thing that had crossed his mind that morning when he set out to drag Mai to the beach, but Naru couldn't deny that it _had_ been a point; a point which he was sure would not come to necessity, but a point none the less.

"No." Naru shook his head side to side in the negative. "I knew nothing."

Mai searched his face looking much more serious than was her norm; "No…you _knew_. What happened was an accident, and a stupid mistake on my part, but you saved me…you saved my life…"

Her voice trailed off. There was so much Mai wanted to say, to express. She hadn't meant to be trouble; in fact she had been rather pleased at how good she was being before, well before almost dying in the ocean. Her hand sought his, resting on the side of the bed, and smiled as she felt Naru flinch at her grasp but slowly molded his fingers around hers. "I'm sorry."

Naru seemed mollified, though sullen, but Mai could tell he was seeing the truth of her words; he couldn't deny it for long. He knew it was an unfortunate event, beyond his control or hers for that matter. Things happen and accidents occur, no use dwelling on them unnecessarily.

"Can we go to the beach again?"

That brought Naru's attention back to Mai, his hand involuntarily tightening its hold ever so slightly, his eyes turning questioning as they narrowed. "No."

A pout, ever so subtle, marred Mai's features. "I will be really, _really_, careful next time."

"No."

A huff of frustration broke the lengthening silence. "We can swim together, you and I, so you can make sure I won't get into trouble."

Naru paused, but only for a fraction of a second; he really didn't care for swimming all that much. "No."

"I'll wear a bikini! A _really_ skimpy one!" Mai was letting desperation into her tone and Naru picked up on it immediately. He would have chuckled aloud but he was having too much fun to ruin the moment, he had more control than that. It wasn't all that often he got to see Mai in such a state; inwardly he smiled. A bikini, a _skimpy bikini_ he reminded himself, really was quite tempting.

"Get some rest, Mai." Naru deflected, his free hand smoothing the covers over Mai's chest and pulling them under her chin.

"N-no!" Mai tried to stir but Naru easily held her down into the mattress with gentle but firm pressure. He knew she wasn't feeling well and some more rest was just the thing to help. "I'll…I'll…"

"Mai." His voice was soft but the warning his tone held was not lost on Mai. Her expression turned crestfallen.

"B-but-"

"Mai, go to sleep." Naru admonished, his free hand still resting atop the bed in case he needed to push her back down at any moment.

"I'll…"

"Mai. Sleep."

"I'LL BRING TEA!"

Mai waited, her eyes wide, taking in Naru's equally stunned expression. His brows were raised, his eyes quizzical and alight with humor, his mouth twitching at the corners. That was a good sign wasn't it? Mai waited…and waited…Naru's look boring into her but still he allowed nothing to crack. Finally, after what seemed like forever to Mai, his mouth quirked into a devilish smirk.

"Maybe."

Of course tea, not a bikini, would be what tipped the scale…Mai couldn't help but smile as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep to the soft sound of Naru's breathing, the comforting warmth of his hand, and the reassuring knowledge that she would be getting another chance to spend a wonderful day at the beach with the man she was positively head over heals in love with.

~End~

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Reviews welcome! Thank you for reading! :)


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